The Present that I want
by Cupiditatis
Summary: A Christmas present which is not buyable, two orphaned children, two brawlers put together to make a wish come true, and Father Christmas who watches over all four. An AngelinaMontague Adventscalendar
1. Door 1

Okay, so here's the reason (or at least one of the reasons) that _KfaR_ is taking me so long right now. But the idea hit me during October and wouldn't leave my mind, so I had to write it.

Oh, and thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions for Montague's (first) firstname. You'll see him in the next chapter. :D

So, here's the first of 24 chapters. I hope you enjoy them.

**The Present that I want…**

(is the smile in your eyes)

**Title**: The Present that I want… (is the smile in your eyes)

**Pairing**: Angelina/Montague

**Rating**: PG-13

**Inspiration**: Title: _The Present that I want_ – Just Friends

Story: The idea struck me in the middle of the night (it must have been between 2 and 3 in the morning) while I was reading 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own most of the characters in this story. All recognizable characters like Angelina Johnson or Montague belong to J. K. Rowling. And the old man in his red clothes belongs to… hm… I really don't know, but I know for sure he doesn't belong to me.

**Summary**: A Christmas present which is not buyable; two orphaned children; two brawlers put together to make a wish come true and Father Christmas who watches over all four. - An Angelina/Montague Advents-calendar -

**

* * *

Door 1**

Come, come in and sit down in front of the fireplace where it is warm and cosy. How about a cup of hot chocolate and some biscuits? And now, that you're starting to feel something again besides the cold from walking outsides I'm going to tell you a story…

Our story starts in… no, wait, I promised him to never again say where he lives. You see, after telling so many stories of him, he had already to leave his most favourite homes – the Igloo at the North pole, the little wooden house at the Korvatunturi in Finland, the snow palace in Archangelsk in the north of Russia and recently even the little post office in Himmelpforten in Germany where he sought refuge for some time. And all of this just because some reporters wanted to uncover his secrets. So, I hope you understand that I can't tell you where he lives now.

Oh, what say you? You don't understand of whom I speak? Why, Father Christmas of course! Or Santa Claus, if that is how you call him. Or maybe you prefer St. Nikolaus? Weihnachtsmann? Djeduschka Maros? Julemanden? Babbo Natale? Père Noël? Jultomten? Sinterklaas? Whatever you might call him, I'd say we agree on calling him Father Christmas for my story, for it is taking place in Great Britain, and it is then only fair, if we use their term when talking about him.

For all muggles of you who are rolling their eyes now, or smiling at the foggy mind who tells you about Father Christmas I want to explain you something:

Despite what some wizards and witches claim to be the truth, muggles and wizards have more in common than one might think. For the truth is: they descended from the same people.

In ancient times, long before mankind counted years as we do now, there were only magical beings. But for some – up until now unknown – reason, a group of this old people decided to no longer use its magical heritage.

And thus, by not using magic any longer, by not seeing their brothers and sisters who still held onto the magic, they lost their heritage. They were no longer able to perform magic, to see unicorns, to see the '_wonders'_ as what they were… simple charms and spells.

And so, they forgot. Only to be reminded of the magic every now and then, when a child is born in whose veins the old heritage tries to break through again. But humans are odd and strong-willed beings. And when those non-magic people had decided that magic did not fit into their world they found ways to ensure that it didn't wound its way in. But you already know the cruel times happenings nowadays known as witch hunt, and I'm digressing…

As I said before, humans are odd beings. There are those who have refused the gift of magic and yet they talk about magic to their children, make them believe in it. Make them afraid of witches and mean wizards while telling them of good fairies and of Father Christmas just to tell them the '_truth'_ once the children grow up. That they are all but fairy tales – the witches, fairies, and Father Christmas.

So, since you are here, I must assume that you know of the world of wizards and witches. Of unicorns, werewolves and fairies. Then, I ask you, how can you still doubt his existence?

So, after we have settled this now, were going back to the actual story.

Father Christmas was sitting in a red armchair in front of a fireplace in … his current home and read the letters of children who wished for something else but toys or books. All those letters had immediately been handed over to the workshop.

He was just reading the letter of the seven-year-old Cristina Aline Iglesias from Mexico who wished for little dog for Christmas. Father Christmas ran his old hands through his thick white beard and nodded his head slightly.

"She is a good little girl. Helping her parents in the house as good as she can, studying for school, is nice to everyone. I think there should be no problem with fulfilling that wish." And he put the letter aside to open the next one.

This one was from nine-year-old Samuel Adams from London and before he even started reading it, Father Christmas had already decided that his wish should come true.

_Dear Father Christmas, _

_My name is Samuel Adams and I'm nine years old. I live with my sister Emily in Miss Robert's orphanage in London. I swear I've been a good boy all year long and my sister is never doing anything bad at all, so I hope you will make my wish come true._

_I wish for parents for my sister and me and I really, really, really hope you will bring us them before this Christmas. (Because Christmas is the worst time in the orphanage because someone is already adopted around this time and the rest of us is to stay behind.) _

_Emily and I are never adopted because we are odd. Or at least, that is what Miss Robert always says. She says I'm dreaming too often and Emily is mentally retarded (but I don't really know what she means with this). So I hope you will find a couple that will still adopt us._

_I don't know if I should even ask for more, but it would be really really nice if you could – just maybe – look if there is a chance of finding parents who are like this: _

_I would wish for our new mother to be really beautiful and nice and she should laugh with us and tell stories to us and she should listen to Emily (when she is talking that is) and she should bake with Emily (because Emily would love to bake) and (but this I guess is really not possible) it would be really really great if she would knew something about Quidditch. But I would already like it very much if she wouldn't say that Quidditch is nonsense. _

_I would wish for a father that is tall and strong (so he can protect us) but he shouldn't be strict (or at least, not as strict as Miss Robert). It would be great if he liked Quidditch and maybe could teach me to fly and play._

_Oh, but please don't let them kiss so often, kissing looks really disgusting (and I think it must feel very strange too). I really really hope you will fulfil my wish and I promise I won't ever wish for anything else if you do. Oh, but that shall not be a treat or anything._

_Samuel Adams_

Just as he had finished the letter he heard a beeping from another room. He arose from the armchair and went to where the beeping came from.

He looked at something that a muggle would call a monitor and sighed as his eyes fell on the two people he saw there arguing in the street.

"Not those two again." Father Christmas sighed and shook his head. For fourteen years he had been seeing the two of them fighting each other. And how desperately he had wished that these fights would end once they were grown up, but instead they seemed to have become even worse. And now they were even arguing in December, while everyone around them was already in the mood for Christmas. No, this was something Father Christmas could not allow to continue.

* * *

I don't know if someone noticed (especially since it was multilingual), I changed the names of Father Christmas and St. Nicholas on purpose. Mainly because when thinking of some countries (like the Netherlands for example) I just don't think of Father Christmas but of St. Nicholas – or Sinterklaas. Just wanted to let you know that this isn't a mistake. :D 


	2. Door 2

**Door 2**

The people who passed them on the street only shook their heads or tried to take no notice of them at all. Fighting was not something they wanted to think about now. There were to many things still to prepare before the holy time was there.

One very little creature – an elf to be exact – made the exact opposite and walked towards them. They were a young, tall man, clad in a very expensive winter rope which let only his equally expensive black boots be seen underneath and a young, black woman, whose clothes might not have been as expensive as the man's but were therefore even more comfortable for she had been already wearing the robe, as well as the woollen cap and scarf, the past two winters.

"…what else could one expect of a…"

What exactly the young man was, no one ever heard for the elf choose this exact moment to clear his throat and interrupt the dispute. The two brawlers looked down at the elf standing at their feet and were obviously perplexed.

You would probably wonder as to why they would be perplexed for elves had a long tradition of serving humans in the wizarding world and of course both of them had already seen such house elves. But you see, this very elf looked not like the ordinary house elves and he would never serve an ordinary witch or wizard.

The first thing that one would notice about him was his skin, for opposite to the other's elves greyish brown skin colour, his skin was a very pale green. He also did not wear any of the rags a house elf usually wore but he was wearing a wonderful red coat made of velvet with a small black leather belt. His little legs were clad in green tights which ended in dark green shoes with small golden bells at the tip. He was even wearing a green pointed hat and green gloves on his little hands.

"He wants to speak to you immediately." He said in a squeaky voice and looked up at the two humans who were staring at him.

"Who's _he_?" The man demanded to know and though he was so small it seemed as though the elf was looking down at the two people in front of him.

"Why, Father Christmas of course. Who else?" he asked as though it should be obvious.

"Father Christmas? Yes, of course. I swear Johnson; we've found the perfect match for you here!" The man said to the woman and made to walk away. But as he turned he found the other people in the street walking strangely slowly. Indeed, every move of them seemed unnatural slow.

"What…?" But before he could finish his sentence he found himself no longer in the crowded street of Diagon Alley in London, England, the United Kingdom, but in a completely different place. Snow was covering everything one could see and a nearby lake was frozen over.

"Where are we?" Angelina, for that is the name of the woman, asked the elf. But the elf didn't reply and only walked towards the only house one could see. Angelina decided to follow the elf, thinking this was what he wanted. The man soon followed, too, although, he told himself, only to find a way back home as soon as possible. For being alone with **_her_** and this odd little elf was not how he had planned his day.

"Ah, thank you for bringing them here, Birger."

The elf bowed his head slightly, for of course he was Birger, which is by the way, a Scandinavian name and means simply 'to help' which is very fitting for an elf of Father Christmas, for that he was and the highest in ranking, too. After Father Christmas had nodded slightly, the elf left them alone, the small bells on his shoes jingling with every step he made.

Father Christmas turned his attention towards the two humans who stood in the room. He shook his head at them when he came closer to where they stood.

"So, finally I can see the two of you in person. One would think that two grown ups like you would know better than to fight every time you see each other. And so close to Christmas."

The young man looked down at Father Christmas and arched his eyebrows.

"And why should I care what you think of my behaviour?"

Father Christmas shook his head sadly.

"I have to tell you, Alexander Tybalt Montague, that just because I haven't brought you that broom you wished for Christmas that one year, does not mean you should believe less in me."

"Tybalt?" Angelina asked and tried to hide her grin as Montague turned his face towards her and glared at her.

"The two of you have disturbed the peace of Christmas," Father Christmas started again. "And thus and to use that energy you seem to have too much of for something helpful, you will help me fulfil the wish of child."

"Oh, sure. And what will you do if I decide not to? Don't bring me a present this Christmas? Oh, wait; you've already done that…" Montague said and walked towards the door.

"I fear you don't have a choice in this, Alexander." Said Father Christmas and as Montague opened the door and walked through he didn't come into the winter land they had appeared in, but he just walked into the same room he had tried to get out of.

"What the…" he asked furiously and Angelina looked just as confused as he did at what had just happened. Montague had just been walking out of the door only to come back in at the same time.

"I told you you have no choice in this." Father Christmas told them.

"And now, would you please listen to me. You will make sure that a child has his wish fulfilled. And you have time until the 24th to do so."

"And what is it, we have to do?" Angelina asked and sighed. Since there was no way out of this she thought it was better to start as soon as possible and to have that wish fulfilled so she wouldn't have to spend more time with Montague than necessary.

"There is a boy named Samuel Adams living with his younger sister in an orphanage in London. You will make sure that they find a family which will adopt them."

"That's all?"

"Oh, don't think this will be an easy task young man."

"That would explain why you don't make it yourself, since you can't even do something as simple as bring a boy a broom he was wishing for." Montague said angrily.

"You really should learn to keep your temper. I know that both of you have a wish that is not yet fulfilled. But I don't hear Angelina complaining about it. And now, you better return to your home, for tomorrow you will meet the two children."

"What? Wait! Why do we have to meet them?"

"Because you will spent the whole month with them. The orphanage has a winter programme where the children are to spend some days or weeks away from the orphanage before Christmas. And so, the two of you will spend the rest of the time until Christmas with them. You just need to decide in whose house you will do it. And now, goodbye and find them nice parents." And before Montague could utter another word – what he was just about to do – they both found themselves standing at the exact point in Diagon Alley where they had been before Birger had taken them to Father Christmas.


	3. Door 3

Today a bit earlier since I'm going to a Christmas market and I don't know how late it'll be when I come home.

**Door 3**

The next morning when Angelina woke up she heard the annoying sound of something knocking at her window. She lifted her head from the pillow and tried to see through the curtain of her black hair that hung over her face but all she could see was white. Her window was covered in snow and ice flowers.

With a groan she arose from her bed and walked towards the window. She opened it and a snow white owl flew into her room, landing on the backrest of a chair. It hooted at Angelina and held his leg out at her, showing her a letter that was attached to it. Just when Angelina took the letter away from the owl's leg and gave the animal some crumbs of a biscuit another owl, this time a dark brown one flew through her window, almost knocking into her head had Angelina not ducked away.

"Hey." She said to the owl that sat proudly on top of her wardrobe and looked down at her. The white one hooted once more at her and almost seemed to nod at her before he flew away again. Now, the dark one came down from the wardrobe and sat where the white one had been only moments before. As soon as Angelina took the letter from its leg it left again through the window.

"That one is really well mannered." Angelina murmured to herself ironically and closed the window again. She sat down in the chair and put a blanket over her legs before she opened the first letter.

_Dear Angelina,_

_Enclosed you will find the address of the orphanage where you and Ciaran will meet Samuel and Emily today at 10 a.m. Now the two of you just have to agree on where you will stay until Christmas. _

_Yours sincerely _

_Father Christmas_

_P. S. Please, try not to fight so often. Especially not in front of the children._

"Why do I have a very bad feeling about you?" Angelina said and looked at the second letter, which the dark owl had brought.

"Of course, why am I not surprised…" She wondered as she read the short message.

_Johnson,_

_There's no way I'm going to stay at **your** home for the next weeks. At least in my house there are enough rooms for me to find one where I can be alone when I want to. _

_So get your belongings packed – this can't take long – and meet me in the Leaky Cauldron at 9.45 a.m._

_A. T. Montague_

"Well, that explains why the owl is so _well_-mannered."

* * *

About thirty minutes later Angelina walked into the Leaky Cauldron and looked around in search of Montague. She found him sitting at a table, a glass of fire whiskey in front of him. He hadn't looked up when she had entered nor did he look at her now that she was walking towards him.

"Don't you think it's a bit early to drink alcohol?" Angelina asked him as soon as she stood in front of his table. Montague still didn't look up at her; instead he emptied the glass with one final sip and arose from the table.

"I have to spend _weeks_ with you and two children. I need all the alcohol I can get." He finally replied and looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Can we finally go now?" He asked her and didn't even wait for an answer before he left some coins on the table and left the Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

"I must admit, I was highly surprised when I received your boss' owl yesterday. I had not imagined that someone would specifically ask for those two." The cold grey eyes of Eugenie Robert looked at the couple in front of her.

They didn't look like the usual people who were doing some charity work around this time of the year for the huge wizarding companies in the United Kingdom. Well, the woman might pass as one of those but certainly not the man. The look on his face showed visibly how much he wanted to get away – and Eugenie Robert could understand him very well.

"I have to warn you about them." She continued as she led them through the old building.

"The boy has a wandering mind. You have to call him back to reality again and again and his little sister… well, it seems the dead of her parents have left some damage in her mind. She never really learned to speak and she is already four years old." Eugenie Robert sighed and opened a door.

"Samuel, Emily, come here, Mr. Montague and Ms. Johnson are here."

The two children arose from their chairs at a table and walked towards the three adults. Samuel was holding Emily's hand in his; the girl's brown eyes kept looking at the floor as she was being lead.

"Hello." Samuel said and tried not to sound as shy as he felt while he held his hand out to Angelina.

"My name is Samuel Adams."

Angelina smiled at the boy and kneed down to be at eye level with him and his sister.

"I'm Angelina." She said and took his hand.

"And what's your name?" she asked Emily who slowly lifted her gaze from the floor and bit her lip.

"Her name's Emily." Samuel answered for his sister.

"You will behave while you stay with Ms. Johnson and Mr. Montague, do you understand me?"

"Yes Miss Robert." Samuel answered her.

"And you will do as you're told."

"Yes Miss Robert."

Miss Robert nodded and turned back to talk to Angelina and Montague.

"You will bring the children back at the morning of the 24th, right? Well, we will see each other in some weeks then." She shook hands with both adults and said her goodbyes as she lead them back outside with the siblings and their luggage.


	4. Door 4

**Door 4**

When they arrived at the gate Montague asked himself for the first time in his life why his great-great-great-grandfather had wanted a large garden in front of his house in addition to the park behind it. Had he just let the house be build right behind the front gate, Montague would be rid of his three guests soon, so he still had to endure them for several – seemingly endless – minutes.

And worst of all was that Johnson couldn't be quiet for five minutes! She had kept asking the two children since they had left the orphanage – of course not before she had him carry the children's luggage. As soon as they had been out of sight of any muggles he had charmed it to fit into his pocket.

The first two times the boy had answered each question with an added _'Ms. Johnson'_. And of course, the typical Gryffindor couldn't keep it that way and told the boy to call her Angelina and forget this _'Ms. Johnson'_. He guessed she had expected him to do the same, but Montague wasn't planning on being the new best friend of these two, so he had no problem with being called Mr. Montague by them.

Angelina looked at the dark stone building in front of her. It looked like it had just sprung from one of the thriller or horror books her father liked to read in cold autumn nights: uninviting – frightening even and she found herself lifting her chin and straightening her shoulders as though she wanted to show the house that she was not afraid of it – nor of his owner.

The inside looked even gloomier – if that was even possible. The furniture was mostly made of dark wood and the colours on the walls were dark as well. The few portraits that hung in the hall they had entered looked haughtily down at the three visitors. It looked just like one might imagine the home of a – former – Slytherin. And yet, nothing of this seemed to be the biggest difference between Montague's house and her own or that of any of her friends. It was the lack of Christmas decoration that caused a frown to appear on her face.

"You _have_ noticed that it's almost Christmas, haven't you?" Angelina asked him and looked around in the cold room. Montague didn't respond but merely glared at her.

"Your rooms will be here." He said and led them towards a long hallway. He stopped in front of the third door and opened it.

"Johnson." He simply said and nodded towards the room that could now be seen through the open door. Angelina walked past Montague and stepped into the room. It was a beautiful room, she had to admit that. But of course, like the rest of the house it was dark. Starting from the dark brown panelling at the wall and the dark wooden floor that was covered by three rugs around the huge four-poster-bed and a carpet in front of the fireplace, over the dark furniture consisting of the bed, a large wardrobe, a table and two chairs, a bookcase and a small couch in front of the fireplace to the bedding itself – surprisingly it wasn't a dark green but a dark red in colour.

"You two can have the two rooms next to this one, or you can share one room if you'd prefer that."

Angelina turned around at the first words Montague directed at the children.

"Come, I'll help you unpack." She said and smiled at the children as she walked out of her room. Montague left them alone as soon as she spoken and murmured something about showing them the rooms they might have to use after lunch. A house elf was to bring them to the dining room.

* * *

True to his word, Montague had showed them the ground floor of the house and the park behind it through a window. He also pointed out that no one was to go upstairs – ever. Angelina had just waited for a sign to appear that read something like 'Go upstairs and die!'.

The rest of the day was spent mostly in silence. Angelina played with Samuel and Emily while Montague kept to himself, avoiding his three 'guests' completely. After dinner Angelina brought the siblings to bed.

"How about we decorate this house for Christmas tomorrow?" Angelina asked while she pulled the blanket up to Emily's shoulders.

"That would be great!" Samuel beamed at her and Emily smiled happily at the suggestion.

"Then that's settled. We'll go shopping tomorrow." Angelina smiled and wished them a good night before she turned off the light and closed the door behind her.

* * *

"Montague, get down here this instance!" Angelina yelled at the bottom of the stairs, hoping wherever he was that Montague would hear her. And just when she was about to yell again, he appeared at the top of the stairs, looking angrily down at her.

"I swear Johnson; you better have a good reason to yell around like that. If not at least this house is about to explode I'm going to…"

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but your house will not explode. I just wanted to tell you that we will go shopping tomorrow."

"WE? You mean 'WE' as in you and the annoying brats, right?"

"No, I mean 'we' as in you, me, Samuel and Emily."

Montague let out a dry laugh and made to turn around.

"Forget it Johnson. I have a reputation to lose. I'm not going to be seen with you and a bunch of children in public!"

"Well, since this is as much your order as it is mine, you will come with us to Diagon Alley, so we can buy some decoration and afterwards we decorate your house."

Montague stopped and turned around, glaring down at her. He walked down the stairs slowly, as though he was trying to calm himself before he reached her. And as he reached her he spoke in a seemingly dangerous calm voice.

"Listen Johnson, and listen well, because I'm only going to say this once: I don't like Christmas; I don't like children and least of all I like you! So going with _you_ and a bunch of _children_ to buy _Christmas_ decoration is the LAST thing I'm ever going to do!" he turned around and was about to leave but then he noticed a snow white owl sitting on the banister, looking directly at him and hooted.

"What?" Montague wondered aloud and took the letter from the owl's leg.

_Stop fighting you two!_

_And Alexander, you WILL accompany Angelina and the children! And be nice to them!_

_Yours sincerely_

_Father Christmas_

Montague didn't even have to turn around to know that Angelina was smiling triumphantly at him.


	5. Door 5

**Door 5**

"Mummy, do you think Father Christmas will bring me such a teddy bear this year?"

"Maybe Lucas, if you are a good boy until Christmas."

"I promise!"

Samuel watched the little boy with his mother standing in front of a shop window. He felt his hand being squeezed and looked down into his sister's brown eyes. Samuel forced himself to smile at Emily before he looked up at Angelina to see if she had noticed him watching the mother and boy, too.

But Angelina was looking into a shop window herself right now.

"How about something like this?"

"Don't even think about it! You're not going to make my house look like some Gryffindor Candy Shop!"

Angelina sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I have news for you, Montague: red is a typical Christmas colour! It has nothing to do with the houses at Hogwarts but with tradition that I want some red decoration."

"As far as I know, green is just as well a colour for Christmas decoration, so you can as well choose green stuff."

"But to decorate everything in green is stupid! You take at least two colours to decorate…"

"Well, then take silver to go with the green!"

Angelina throw her arms up defeated and shook her head.

"Silver and green don't look like Christmas, they look like Slytherin! And there's NO snake in the Christmas story!"

"This."

Montague and Angelina stopped and looked down at Emily who was pointing at some of the decoration in the next window. Angelina walked to stand behind the little girl and looked for herself at the decoration.

"Looks like a good compromise to me." She said and looked questing at Montague.

"You will keep the red stuff at a minimum!" were his only words.

And they also turned out to be his final words for the day as well. The rest of the day he stayed silent, only rolling his eyes or sighing at the amount of decoration Angelina bought. He refused to carry anything of it though; instead he wondered what his home would look like when she was done with it. He dreaded the possible outcomes already.

* * *

Though Montague would never admit it – not even to himself – the house didn't look bad at all when Angelina and the children were finished with it. Montague had refused to let them do anything on the upstairs rooms or on the outside of the house but the ground floor looked a lot more inviting now.

Of course, Montague couldn't keep from complaining about how the red colour hurt his eyes during dinner that evening. While Angelina's only response was that there was still more green everywhere than the few red decorative items she had used.

As annoying Montague was during dinner as silent was Samuel. And this surprised Angelina. While Emily barely spoke a word and Angelina hadn't had a real chance to get anything more out of her yet, Samuel had seemed to warm up today while they had decorated the house. But now he sat there and ate wordlessly, barely looking up from his plate at all.

* * *

When she walked past the children's room on her way back from the bathroom to her bedroom that night she heard that they were still up and talking with each other.

"But if he is really this famous Quidditch player you think he is that would prove that Miss Robert is wrong. He doesn't seem to be a _lunatic_ to me. You could be a quidditch player yourself one day. He is rich, so you can make a living out of it."

Emily's voice could be heard from inside the room. Angelina couldn't hear Samuel's reply so she walked silently on to her room.


	6. Door 6

**Door 6**

"Can we talk?" Angelina asked Montague as soon as the children had left the dining room after Lunch.

"Is there even the slightest chance I could keep you from talking?" He asked back, not even looking at her.

"No."

"Surprise." Montague muttered and sighed heavily.

"So, what do you want?"

"I want you to stop scaring the two."

"WHAT?" Montague looked at her as though it was the first time he saw her.

"I'm not scaring them! And even if I would be scaring them, I don't care! There not here so I can be their big brother or something like that."

"You ARE scaring them! Sam isn't speaking a word when you're around…"

"Didn't you listen to that head of the orphanage? He _never_ speaks!"

"She was saying this about Emily! And it isn't even true!" Angelina told him and tried hard to keep calm about it.

"Is it really that hard for you to be nice just once? Oh, wait, for one moment there I forgot whom I'm talking to!" And with this she stormed out of the room and went looking for Samuel and Emily.

* * *

Montague didn't see her again until late in the afternoon when he walked into the library. There she sat, on a rug in front of the fireplace, the children on each side of her.

She was reading them a fairytale or something alike. The voice she used to read surprised him. He had never heard her speak in such a soft voice as she was doing now. But then, they rarely 'spoke' with each other. It was rather fighting. Had been since the first time they had met on the Hogwarts express.

A movement from her right side caught his eye and he found the little girl staring at him. Montague felt as though he had been caught and he hated this feeling. It was his house! His library! There was no reason for him to feel like an intruder now.

He quickly turned away from the cosy scene and walked towards the bookcases to take the book he had originally come for. When he turned to leave the library he felt the girl's eyes still on his back.

That evening dinner seemed to be even quieter than before. But Montague would rather bite his tongue than admit that Angelina might have been right. And so he just continued to eat in silence, not caring for Angelina's attempts to get someone to talk, and left the room as soon as he was finished.


	7. Door 7

**Door 7**

Father Christmas nipped at his hot chocolate while he watched the siblings playing with Angelina. He had been watching them for a few minutes every day since Angelina and Montague had meet the children.

But he could see that there was still some work to be done. Although both children had taken a liking to Angelina, Emily still barely spoke to anyone but Samuel. And even then she only spoke when they were alone.

As long as the children were alone with Angelina, everything seemed fine with Samuel. He laughed and talked and played. But as soon as Montague was present as well a heavy silence fell over the group. And as much as Angelina tried, she hadn't yet been able to stop this.

Father Christmas sighed and looked sadly at the calendar on the wall. It was only a few weeks until Christmas – more like days actually and he couldn't see how he could fulfil Samuel's Christmas wish if things wouldn't change – quickly.

* * *

Samuel was reading a book by himself while Angelina read to Emily. It had become something of a daily routine for them to do this, sitting together in the library for an hour a day. Emily was leaning against Angelina and listened to the story. But she still barely spoke to her. She couldn't get more than a word out of her.

As Montague passed Samuel he caught a glimpse of the book the boy was reading and recognised it immediately: _Quidditch through the Ages_. Montague frowned slightly as a thought crossed his mind but a quick shaking of his head had this thought already disappearing into nowhere.

Angelina glanced at Montague and raised her eyebrows at him when she met his eyes. But he only glared at her and walked out of the library again.

* * *

That night, after dinner Montague called after Angelina just as she was about to leave the room.

"I bet you were one of those children who can't walk by a hurt or wounded animal."

Angelina glared at him, not wanting to admit how close he was to the truth. There was no reason why he should need to know about the times she took care of any hurt animal no matter if it had been a bird with a broken wing or a young fawn which had lost its mother.

"You are trying to say?"

"I'm trying to say that you have some kind of a helper syndrome. And I really hate to break the news to you but you can't save the whole world."

"Yes, well, imagine what a sad place the world would be if everyone would think like that."


	8. Door 8

**Door 8**

It was a ray of sunshine that peeked through the thick curtain and fell onto her face that awoke Angelina the next morning. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked a few times to get used to the light in the room. A yawn escaped her when she stretched, but that sound was soon replaced by gasp when she saw Montague sitting in one of the chairs beside the window.

"What are you doing in here?" Angelina demanded and glared at him. Montague only raised his eyebrows at her and looked around the room, his action clearly saying that this was still _his_ house.

"Make sure to be ready to go out after breakfast. And make sure the children are as well." With this he arose from the chair and walked towards the door.

"What? Hey, Montague, don't you think you could at least tell me what you're planning?"

"I could, but that would be no fun."

* * *

To say that Angelina was surprised when the stadium appeared in front of them would have been an underestimation. She stopped immediately and waited for Montague to finally tell her what this was all about, but it took him some moments to notice that neither she nor the children were walking behind him anymore.

"What? Are you coming or not?" he asked over his shoulder and waited impatiently for the three of them to follow him.

"What are we doing here?" Angelina finally asked him as they entered the stadium. Montague looked ahead of him into nowhere for a moment before he turned his eyes to meet hers.

"Saving the world." He replied. Angelina didn't know what to say to this, but luckily for her a middle-aged man came hastily towards them.

"I don't know what you're planning Montague, but I can't let her fly." The man said and looked at Angelina.

"Girl, I can fully understand that you want to be on a broom again as soon as possible, but Greg will have my head if I let you fly."

"What?" Angelina asked perplexed, wondering what her coach had to do with this.

"Well, after your accident last season and after the doctors said you weren't allowed to fly for a year, Greg made sure that everyone in the league would take care that you won't fly. And I'm not willing to risk my neck for you."

"She won't fly." Montague assured his coach.

"I need two brooms. One for me and one for the boy." He said and moved his head towards Samuel.

"You want to teach him how to fly?" Angelina asked Montague when his coach left to get two brooms.

"Why not, he has to learn it one day." Montague shrugged.

"Come on." He spoke to Samuel for the first time when the brooms were brought to them. Angelina and Emily walked towards a bench and sat down on it, Emily on Angelina's lap.

They sat silently for some time, watching how Montague taught Samuel the basics of flying. When Samuel flew the first rounds Emily's eyes followed her brother proudly.

"He's good, isn't he?"

It took Angelina a moment to realise that it had been Emily who had spoken.

"Yes, yes he is good."

"Do you think he could be a Quidditch player one day? It's his biggest wish, you know. Because our father often told him about Quidditch. He had been playing at Hogwarts. He promised Sam to take him to a match when he would be older. But then he and mummy died before he could take him to one. And Miss Robert doesn't like Quidditch. She says it is nonsense and a waste of time. And she told me I was talking too much, so I just stopped. I will stop if you want me to." Emily said and turned her head to look at Angelina.

"No, I don't want you to stop speaking." Angelina replied softly and ran a hand through Emily's hair. Emily smiled at the young woman and turned back around to watch Samuel and Montague flying.

"I bet he won't stop talking tonight. He will be so excited about it. He is his favourite player, you know? He has always read the newspapers to see some news on Quidditch…"

Later Angelina wouldn't have been able to say how long Emily had talked, or what she had talked about. She didn't seem to stop at all. But Angelina didn't mind. She just sat there and listened to the little girl's stories about her parents and the orphanage. As Emily started to shiver in the cold, Angelina pulled her closer to her chest and brought her arms around her body. Emily welcomed the comforting warmth and snuggled into Angelina, feeling save and warm with someone besides her brother for the first time in a long time.


	9. Door 9

So, a bit late today, but at least still at the right day :)

**Door 9**

"Hey Angie, what brings you here?" Alicia hugged Angelina as her friend entered the house.

"Why? Can't I visit you without having a reason?" Angelina asked innocently while Alicia cocked her head to one side and narrowed her eyes, looking as though she was trying to figure something out.

"You can, but I still have the feeling you want something from me."

"'Licia, really, what do you think of me?"

"Let's go to the living room, then we can talk. I have to tell you something, too." Alicia said and a small smile found its way to her face.

The two friends sat down at the couch in the living room and Alicia turned to face Angelina.

"So? Who goes first?" She asked obviously excited about what she had to tell. Angelina figured that it might be easier to say what she wanted to ask of her after Alicia had told her what had her so thrilled.

"You start." She said and looked expectantly at her old friend.

"I'm pregnant!" Alicia said and beamed at Angelina.

"Wow, that's great! Congratulations!" Angelina replied and let Alicia hug her tightly. Of course she was happy for her friend. It just meant that what she had come here for was no longer possible.

"So, what did you want to tell me?"

"Uhh… you know what, I've completely forgotten!" Angelina laughed and made Alicia tell her everything she knew about her child so far.

* * *

With a heavy sigh Angelina knocked on Katie's door later that evening. She waited for a few moments before she knocked again, since her first knock hadn't been answered.

But just as her hand reached the door it was opened to reveal a very exhausted Katie looking back at her.

"Yes… oh, hey Angie! Nice to see you. Why don't you come in?" And with this she stepped back into her home. Angelina followed her and closed the door behind her.

"You have to excuse the chaos around here, I haven't had time to clean up yet. Just came home from work about twenty minutes ago. You wouldn't believe what people show up with these days… Oh, by the way, we're still meeting at the 26th to exchange presents, right? Where is it this year? I hope it isn't my turn. I don't think I'd be able to clean up the flat in time let alone prepare the dinner for us. Oh my… I still haven't anything for you for Christmas… Oh, but why don't you sit down? Just… just get some of those cloths away from the armchair, that should be fine… oh Snowball, no, down there! That's not your bed! I swear, one day this cat will kill me. Hey, you want some tea? I was just about to make myself some. Earl Grey okay? How have you been the past few weeks? I know I wanted to come over and all, but I really didn't have time. Which reminds me, did Licia tell you she had something she wanted to tell us? I promised her to floo over tonight, don't think I'll make it though, too bad, sounded important. I hope it's nothing bad. Do you think something happened to George? No, she would have said so, right?..."

Angelina didn't even try to say something. She just asked herself why she had even thought about it. Katie had turned into a workaholic after school. She spent about 20 hours a day in St. Mungo's, was single – because a man would only mean she would have even less time for herself right now – and barely managed to take care of her cat and her flat. It was out of question to ask her to take the children. Angelina would have to think about someone else.


	10. Door 10

**Door 10**

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Montague murmured to himself while he was sitting together with his friends. He knew what Angelina had been doing the evening before. Why she had been gone and left the children alone with him – something she wouldn't have done hadn't they already been in bed. He knew that she had been seeing some of her friends in order to find new parents for the children.

And Merlin knew what ghost possessed him to try it, too. He was actually going to ask his friends to adopt children! That was the moment Alexander Tybalt Montague knew he must have a very severe illness, that would slowly kill him. Either that, or he was turning into a Gryffindork, but he still hoped it was the first.

"Something up with you? You act a bit… odd today."

Montague turned towards Marcus Flint, who had asked the question and shook his head.

"No, nothing's wrong…" _'Nothing besides me living with a former Gryffindor and two children for whom we have to search new parents and me thinking about asking one of you to do this job.' _"…I'm fine. Now, deal the cards, that's what we're here for!"

So, for almost an hour they played without any interruptions before, for some reason, they started to talk about children…

"I will never understand what women see in them. Cute? My ass, what is cute with diapers and screaming and having to feed it in the middle of the night…?" Warrington said and put a card on the table.

"You do know that they grow up, right? And that you have been a baby once, too?"

"Yes, of course. But I also remember how I was when I grew older and that is not something I want to experience as a parent of some little monster."

"I agree. The only reason to get a child is to ensure the family line is going to survive. Can't have all those mudbloods everywhere."

"Right. And besides, the screaming gets only worse when they grow up! Have you ever heard a four or five-year-old screaming? My sister was visiting with her two brats yesterday. I swear I will have trouble with my ears for the next few days." This received a laugh from the rest of the men while Montague was glad he hadn't yet talked about the children. And he promised himself to never ever let his friends know about his current 'guests' – he would never hear the end of it.

* * *

Father Christmas was sitting in his armchair in his home and watched Montague apparating home that evening. He shook his head silently.

"The hot chocolate." Birger said from beside the armchair and held the cup towards Father Christmas to take it.

"Thank you Birger." Father Christmas turned back towards the Monitor and sighed.

"They try so hard and don't see the solution that is lying right in front of them."

Birger snorted at this.

"Of course they don't. They are humans. If you would tell them what the solution is they still wouldn't believe it.

Father Christmas looked after the elf and smiled.

"I think you're underestimating them, Birger. I'm sure they will find the solution."


	11. Door 11

**Door 11**

Angelina watched smiling as Samuel told Emily how it was to fly. He hadn't stop talking about it in the past days. And his sister was a good listener. And now, she also was a good talker. It warmed Angelina's heart to see her finally talking and she really wanted to strangle that leader of the orphanage for being the cause of Emily's silence.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Emily crawled onto her lap and looked expectantly up at her.

"There are no biscuits." Emily said. Angelina didn't really understand what she wanted to say with this, so Emily explained.

"It's Christmas soon, and there are no biscuits. We need Christmas biscuits. Mummy always made them."

Angelina smiled slowly and nodded.

"You're right. We need Christmas biscuits."

* * *

"Forget it!"

"Why not?"

"I won't let you turn the kitchen into a battlefield! You want biscuits? Tell the houseelves, that's what they're here for!"

"But that's not the same! Christmas biscuits have to be made by yourself! Has your mother never baked anything?"

Montague raised his eyebrows at her and Angelina sighed.

"You're impossible, you know that?"

"Johnson, that's part of my charm." He grinned at her and turned around, the discussion was over for him.

"Fine, then we'll make them at my parents'."

"Have fun."

"Montague…"

"No, no way! You won't drag me into this, too! I went _shopping_ with you, but I won't _bake_ with you!"

"So, we will wait for the owl to come again?"

Montague turned back around to face her and glared down at her, trying to intimidate her - not that it was working.

"I'm not saying you have to actually bake with us. But you have to come with us. And you know very well that _He_ will tell you the same thing should you continue to argue so much!"

Angelina could see how Montague's jaw tensed and she knew she had won.

"We need to go shopping for the ingredients tomorrow. So try to be nice."

When she finally left the room Montague let himself fall back onto a chair. He could already imagine the horrors that would await him. Seeing as Angelina was rather tall for a girl at least one of her parents must be tall as well. Probably her father. He probably looked like a woodcutter. Montague could already see the man before him. And next to him a small, plumb woman, both of them dressed in rather old fashioned clothes – Angelina had to have inherited that lack of style from someone.

He would probably be forced to spend the day in a small cottage somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Hell, her parents could be Muggles for all he knew! _'This day will be my death.' _He thought and imagined all kinds of worst-case-scenarios.


	12. Door 12

**Door 12**

"I still can't believe you made me come." Montague mumbled while he walked behind Angelina and the children. Angelina didn't even respond to him, she merely took another look at her list to see what else they needed for the biscuits.

She had sent her parents an owl, asking them if they could make the biscuits there at the next day. Of course they had agreed immediately. They were happy to see their daughter again since she had barely written them since she stayed with Montague.

Emily was looking around in the street. She was watching the people walking by, the windows of the shops and suddenly her attention was caught by a small grey fur ball on the other side of the street.

She took advantage of Angelina not holding her hand to tight that moment and ran across the street towards the small kitten. She didn't even hear Angelina calling out for her anymore. Nor did she see the cart that was moving towards her.

Luckily for her Montague did see it. He ran across the street and pulled her away just in time before the cart passed them.

Angelina felt Samuel's hand holding hers tightly and when she finally managed to move her eyes away from the scene on the other side of the street and look down at Samuel's face, she saw the fear in his eyes.

"Come." She said and cleared her throat when she heard how shaking her voice sounded. She took one look in each direction to make sure that there wasn't another cart or something else coming and hurried towards where Montague kneed with Emily and ground.

"Emily, are you alright?" Angelina asked worriedly as soon as they reached them. Emily smiled up at her as though nothing had happened.

"Isn't she cute?" She asked and held the small kitten up for Angelina to look at. Angelina didn't even know what to respond. Samuel was still staring wide eyed at his sister.

"Emmy…"

"Did nobody ever tell you that you can't just run across the street?" Montague asked her but it didn't sound angry at all, Angelina noticed. He sounded rather… relieved that nothing had happened.

* * *

"Emily, Sam, stay here for a moment." Angelina told the siblings and went to ask the shopkeeper for some cinnamon. Just when she was about to return to the children a woman turned to her.

"You have a really cute daughter."

Angelina looked at Emily and smiled slowly.

"Yes, she is cute, but she isn't my daughter."

"Oh, excuse me, I thought you and the young man were married. I didn't…" The woman said and looked again at Emily. While Angelina tried not to look to disturbed at the woman's comment about her and Montague being married.

"No, they aren't his children either. Sam and Emily are orphans. They stay with us until Christmas, then they'll return to the orphanage."

"That's sad. Such a cute girl should have a home." The woman said and left Angelina alone again.

* * *

When Virginia Summer came home that afternoon, the first thing she did was feed her two darlings: Sweetie and Cutie, two Yorkshire Terriers which could only be told apart by the colour of the bow they had in their hair. Sweetie was wearing a pink one and Cutie an orange bow.

When the dogs were feed, Virginia walked into the living room. She made sure that the dresses on the porcelain dolls she collected were without any wrinkles before she sat down next to her husband on the couch and started on her recent hobby: decorative stitching.


	13. Door 13

**Door 13**

He was impressed, that he had to admit. He hadn't expected her to live in such a house, in such a neighbourhood. This here was far from being a small country cottage! Sure, it was still on the countryside, a small town, close to a forest and all, but it was obviously not a poor village. And it wasn't a muggle village either.

Angelina's family home was a rather large white house, a gravel path, lawn on each side, leading from the door in the fence towards the front door.

Angelina knocked at the door, silently cursing because she hadn't thought of taking her keys with her to Montague's place. Montague looked around bored, waiting to get this day over as soon as possible.

When the door was opened and Angelina was pulled forwards he looked up at the man that was hugging her right now. And Montague couldn't prevent to raise his eyebrows.

This man didn't look like a woodcutter at all. Of course he was tall, that he had predicted right. He was even taller than Montague had expected and Angelina's father towered over Montague with a full head. But there his predictions already stopped from being true.

Michael Johnson was clean shaved – opposite to what Montague had expected – and he actually had a sense of style. His clothes were far from being cheap or old-fashioned. They looked more like something Montague could find in his own wardrobe.

"So, you must be Montague?" The deep voice of Angelina's father brought him back from his thoughts and he shook the hand of the other man. After he had greeted Samuel and Emily he let them enter the house and walked ahead towards the kitchen.

"Angelina." The woman that came out of the kitchen now was the complete opposite from what Montague had imagined Angelina's mother to look like! She was as tall as her daughter and didn't look much older than her. The only real different was in the way they dressed.

Leila Johnson was, just as her husband, dressed in some casual elegant clothes. As she greeted her guests Montague wondered how Angelina could have such an odd taste in clothes when her parents obviously knew how to dress.

"So, any special biscuits you want to start with?" Leila asked and smiled Emily. The girl took in her new surrounding with wide eyes. How different did this house look from Montague's. Everything was bright and warm and it was decorated for the holidays. What a wonderful childhood Angelina must have had in this house.

Angelina's parents reminded her of her own parents – as far as she could remember them. They were kind and loving and so different from Miss Robert. Emily pushed the thought away again. Today was not a day to think of Miss Robert. She followed Leila with Angelina and Samuel into the kitchen.

"So, you want to help them with the biscuits?" Montague turned to face Michael, not really sure how to respond. For some reason he didn't feel like replying with one of his usual answers.

"If not, I could use some help outside with the tree. I have to take the lower branches."

And so Montague decided to do some _'real man's work'_ instead of baking. At least this time Angelina didn't get what she wanted.

"Your parents aren't home for the holidays?" Michael asked him while they worked on the tree in the garden behind the house.

"No, they travel through Europe this time of the year."

"Following the sun?"

"That depends." _'It depends on how many countries they can have between them'_ he thought. It was through that the Montagues travelled around Europe, this year, his mother spent in Greece while his father was in Iceland.

* * *

Samuel was standing in the doorway, watching the women preparing the dough for the biscuits. His hands were buried in his pockets, his lips formed a thin line. He shouldn't be there, in the kitchen, it wasn't a man's place. Miss Robert had always said this to them in the orphanage.

Angelina was looking at him and cocking her head to one side.

"You don't want to help?" she asked encouragingly. Samuel shook his head and headed outside. Angelina wanted to follow him but her mother held her back and shook her head.

"Look." She said and nodded towards the kitchen window. They could see Samuel walking towards where Montague and Angelina's father were working on the tree.

* * *

"Hey, you don't want to help with the biscuits?" Montague asked Samuel when he walked towards the two men. The boy shook his head and buried his hands deeper in his pockets.

"That's no work for a man. If the other boys in the orphanage would find out, they'd make fun of me."

"There's nothing wrong with a man baking every once in a while." Michael smiled at him but Samuel was not about to change his mind. But his face showed the fight he was having inside.

"You absolutely sure you don't want to bake?" Montague asked.

"You aren't baking either." Samuel observed while looking up at Montague. _'So much for her not getting her will'_ Montague thought while he motioned for Samuel to follow him into the house.

They stood in the doorway to the kitchen for a moment and watched the three who were right now putting the dough on the table. Angelina looked up and looked questioningly at the two.

"We've come to help you with this stuff." Montague murmured and nodded towards the dough on the table. Angelina and her mother had to smile. They doubted that Montague knew how much alike the two male guests looked right now.

Both of them had their hands buried deep in their pockets, a mask of boredom on their faces and were standing there, as though they were preparing to run away at any moment.

"You better put something on over your clothes." Leila said smiling and Angelina went and brought them two aprons. When she handed one of them to Montague, her mother smiled at them and raised her eyes above their heads.

"Would you two look up there." She said and Angelina and Montague did as they were told. When their eyes took in what was above them they wore the same pained expression on their faces. They were standing right underneath a mistletoe.


	14. Door 14

**Door 14**

"You better kiss each other."

"Is this an enchanted one?" Angelina asked, already dreading the answer.

"What do you think?" Her mother replied and continued to smile at the two underneath the mistletoe. That was the reply both of them had feared. An enchanted mistletoe wouldn't let you go before you had kissed the other person – properly.

Angelina swallowed before she met Montague's eyes. The sooner they kissed, the sooner they could go back to baking biscuits – a harmless activity as long as there weren't any mistletoe around.

Montague brought his head slowly down and Angelina leaned up a bit to meet him halfway. When their lips met, Angelina was surprised at how soft the kiss was. His lips touched hers gently; as if afraid she might bite him or something. She could smell his cologne, at least she thought it had to be his cologne, there was no way someone could smell so good without wearing cologne.

Her eyes fluttered close when he moved his head a bit to the side and let his tongue slide over her closed lips. She didn't know what had made him do this, nor did she know what it was that made her open her lips immediately and welcome his tongue with her own.

She could have sworn she heard a sigh then, not sure if it was herself or Montague, but she didn't care. The kiss let her want more and without noticing it, her hand moved to his chest and up towards his shoulder, to keep herself up against him as their kiss deepened.

They were completely lost in the kiss, so neither of them noticed the smile on Leila's face or the way Samuel covered his eyes, so he wouldn't have to see so much of this disgusting kissing. He would never understand what adults found so good about that. Emily wasn't sure what to think of this. But she couldn't help but hope. For what she wasn't sure, but she hoped for it.

Slowly Angelina pulled back from the kiss, her eyes still half closed as she looked up into Montague's face. She had never before noticed how green his eyes were, or how many emotions he could show with them. His lips looked so soft and inviting and she was just about to bring her hand up to touch them when she heard Samuel speaking.

"Are you done now?" He asked and peeked from behind his hands, obviously relieved that it was over.

Angelina stepped back from Montague hastily and cleared her throat. Her eyes were looking everywhere but at him. Merlin, what kind of spell had her parents used for that mistletoe? If it made her actually enjoy a kiss with Montague it had to be a strong one.

She was glad that her mother didn't say anything about the kiss and they continued to bake mostly in silence. But every once in a while Angelina couldn't help but lick her lips. She could still taste him. Even nibbling at the dough didn't help.

Leila smiled for the rest of the afternoon. She couldn't remember when she had been in such a good mood for the last time. Of course she had been worried about her daughter when Angelina had told her that she would spend the weeks before Christmas with a man and two children. And it had to be a man who had been her enemy throughout her whole school life.

But now she wasn't worried anymore. She just wondered how long it would take her daughter to realise the obvious.

The afternoon passed quickly and soon Emily and Samuel were carrying each a box full of Christmas biscuits in their hands while Angelina said goodbye to her parents. While Montague said goodbye to her father, Leila hugged her daughter tightly. And just before Angelina walked out of the door her mother whispered into her ear.

"There was not a single charm on the mistletoe. I thought you might want to know that." And she waved and smiled as she stood with her husband and watched them walk away. Angelina still in awe over what she had just been told.


	15. Door 15

**Door 15**

"Yes, that is something I like to see." Father Christmas was smiling happily as he watched the quartet leave Angelina's parents. He leaned back in his armchair and ran a hand through his white beard.

"It won't last long. As soon as they're back at his house they will continue to fight just as they did before." Birger replied.

Father Christmas looked down at his elf and shook his head.

"I've already told you, Birger, you should have more faith in humans. They might surprise you when you at least expect it."

"I'll wear Inga's dress this year's Christmas when those two manage to find the right parents for these children." Birger said, knowing he would never have to wear his sister's dress, ever.

Those two humans would never find the right parents. Maybe if the woman had another partner, but with this man, there was no way he would be any real help. Alexander Tybalt Montague wasn't someone who helped somebody else. And he wasn't someone who cared for children.

Birger knew this very well. And he didn't know whether to admire Father Christmas' faith or to pity him because he relied on the young man.

And he wondered once more if it had been such a wise idea from his boss to pass this present on to those humans. Everyone knew that humans had no idea when it came to presents. This was the work of elves and Father Christmas.

Adult humans actually thought that children wanted _clothing_ for Christmas! Or something they could need in school! No elf would ever think of such a present! Birger was convinced that Christmas would be a terrible and sad holiday were it not for Father Christmas. You couldn't leave something as important as choosing presents up to humans!

"Birger, you always have to remember that Christmas is the time of miracles. And who knows, maybe we are about to witness one with them." Father Christmas smiled and his eyes twinkled happily.

Birger sighed and shook his head. Father Christmas was a hopeless romantic. Nothing he would say would convince him that it was a risk he had taken with those humans. Birger just hoped that he wouldn't be disappointed in the end should it not work out as Father Christmas was hoping.

"Ah, well," Father Christmas arose slowly from his seat.

"There is a present I have to get. I will be back soon." He told Birger and walked out of his house into the snowstorm.


	16. Door 16

**Door 16**

Angelina awoke early the next morning after a rather restless sleep. She hadn't been able to push that kiss out of her mind. It had kept replaying itself over and over again.

She yawned when she arose from the bed and pulled the dressing gown over her pyjama. But before she walked towards the door of her room to head to the bathroom the window caught her eyes.

Or rather, what was outside caught her eyes: everything was covered with snow. And the flakes were still falling silently down to the ground. A huge smile found its way to Angelina's face.

She hurried out of her room and to the room of Samuel and Emily. The siblings were still fast asleep when Angelina pulled the curtains apart.

"Hey, wake up you two and take a look out of the window." She said, still smiling broadly.

Emily opened her eyes slowly and yawned. But as soon as she looked out of the window she smiled just as broadly as Angelina. She sat up in the bed and shook Samuel's shoulder.

"Sam, Sam wake up! It has snowed! Everything is white! Sam, wake up, you have to see that!" And she jumped out of the bed and ran towards the window to watch the snowflakes falling onto the already white ground.

"Wow!" She heard her brother's voice behind her as he joined her at the window.

"Can we go?" Samuel asked Angelina and when she nodded he already wanted to run out of the room.

"Hey." Angelina called him back. Samuel stopped at the door and turned around.

"I didn't mean immediately! I meant after you've been in the bathroom and washed yourself and brushed your teeth, after we had breakfast and most important: AFTER you've changed into your cloths. I don't think your pyjama will keep you warm out there."

Samuel nodded and hurried to the bathroom.

* * *

After the breakfast the children couldn't be kept inside any longer and Angelina helped them put on their scarves, gloves, caps and jackets before she put all of that on herself.

"Are you going to join us?" She asked Montague when she headed outside with Samuel and Emily.

"Why should I?"

"Because it's the first snow!" Angelina said matter-of-factly.

"So? It's white, it's cold and it's nothing but water! I've never seen anyone reacting on rain the way you do on snow!"

Angelina rolled her eyes at his 'logic'.

"Say Montague, were you born like this or did you become Mr. Scrooge later in your life?"

"Not everyone is into such nonsense as Christmas and 'fun in the snow' Johnson. You go out and play Christmas elf. Have fun, and make sure to clean your boots before you come back in!"

Angelina shook her head as she watched him walking upstairs.

The most annoying thing about this was the odd disappointment she felt as she was building snowmen with Samuel and Emily. It felt as though something was missing when she watched the siblings having so much fun. They laughed together and were obviously happy.

It reminded her of the day they had made the biscuits. _'I shouldn't have believed that it would change him.'_ Angelina thought and scolded herself for wanting him to change. After all, it wasn't long anymore. Soon the children would have to go back to the orphanage. And they hadn't succeeded in the task they were given.

She wished she could change this. She wished she could find a family for Samuel and Emily. People who would love them. Who would take them as they were. And not try to change them as Miss Robert had obviously done.

That woman had already caused enough damage in their hearts. And Angelina dreaded the day she would have to let the children go back there. She could already see Emily being mute again. See Samuel only watching books longingly instead of reading them. Or telling his sister a story of his own. Stories of far away places, heroes and monsters.

Her heart ached as she watched the two building a forth snowman. _'A snowfamily'_ as Emily had explained.

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and turned around. Nothing. She had been sure that someone was watching her. She was just about to turn back around when she saw a movement behind a window on one of the upper floors. And when she turned back around she had to think of a pair of deep green eyes and wished once more she could change everything.


	17. Door 17

**Door 17**

"Don't you get a Christmas tree?" Samuel asked Montague during dinner. It had continued to snow the past few days. Angelina, Emily and Samuel had spent every day outside in the snow.

"I never have a Christmas tree." Montague's reply caused three forks to fall soundly onto three plates.

"What!" Montague asked annoyed as he saw three very similar looks of shock on their faces.

"No tree?" Emily asked with wide eyes. She looked at Angelina to see if maybe he was only joking, but Angelina looked just as shocked as Emily herself did. Although Angelina wondered silently why she still wondered about that. Of course he wouldn't have a Christmas tree.

"But everyone has a Christmas tree! Even Miss Robert has one in the orphanage." Emily said still unbelieving.

Angelina had taken her fork back in her hand and was looking at Montague with raised eyebrows. He was glaring at her and she could practically hear him scream in his mind _'I'm not getting a tree!'_. She wondered just who would win in the end.

"It would look good in the living room next to the library. On the right side of the fireplace." Emily said and smiled sweetly at Montague. Angelina fought hard to hide her smile from him when his glare intensified.

"We could decorate it together." Emily continued.

"We could go together into the forest and search for one."

Montague sighed and turned his attention to Emily who was still smiling innocently at him.

"You won't stop before I agree on this, are you?"

Emily's smile brightened.

"So, we're going to get one?"

"It's not as though I have anything to say here anymore anyway." Montague murmured and glared at Angelina as though he wanted to say _'This is all your fault! She is turning into a mini-Johnson!'_

But Angelina just did as Emily and smiled at him, although to be correct, her smile was less innocent and more victorious.

* * *

"Okay, how about this one?" Montague asked obviously annoyed.

"No, the tip isn't right." Samuel decided and so the walked on.

"How about this one?" Angelina asked and pointed at a fir. Samuel and Emily agreed.

"Great, number 27 it is then." Montague muttered. He was just glad he was a wizard. He would go mad if he had to do this the muggle way! A quick wave with his wrist and a Latin word later and the tree was laying bound together in the snow before him.

"Wingardium Leviosa." Montague said and the tree rose in the air. Montague walked back, wanting to get back to his house as soon as possible. It was way to cold to be out on one's own free will.

Something cold and hard hit him in the back of his head and the tree fell down when his concentration was broken. He turned around to face Angelina, who had Samuel on her right and Emily on her left hand. Montague ran his glove-covered hand over his hair.

"You find that funny?" He asked Angelina who was looking confused at him.

"What do you mean?"

Montague glared at her and bowed slowly to reach for the snow. He formed a ball in his hands and arose just as slowly as he had bowed.

"Uh… what exactly do you think you're doing?" Angelina asked and took a step back.

"Ever heard the word _revenge_? You throw a snowball at me and I'm throwing a snowball at you."

"What snowball?" Angelina asked innocently and took another step back, letting go of Samuel and Emily's hands in the process.

"Montague…" she said warningly when he came slowly closer.

"You won't dare…"

"You really think so?" he asked and raised his eyebrows at her.

"Think again!"

Angelina gasped and turned around to run away from him. She didn't get far, though. She could already hear Montague behind her and ducked her head, expecting the snowball to hit her every moment now. But instead of a snowball hitting her head, a strong pair of arms caught her around her waist and kept her from running.

Before she could protest he had thrown her over his shoulder, carrying her as though she was a sack of potatoes.

"Hey, let me down! Now!" Angelina demanded and hammered onto his back.

"Forget it! I'm not going to have more snowballs thrown at me." Montague told her as he carried her back to where Samuel and Emily waited with the tree.

"I promise I won't throw another one at you!"

"Of course you won't. Because I'm not giving you the chance to do so!"

"Montague, let me down! You won't be able to carry me and concentrate on the tree at the same time anyway." Angelina tried to reason with him. But Montague proved her wrong. She could hear Samuel and Emily laugh when they started their way back to the house.

"I have no problem at all carrying you and concentrating on the tree, Johnson." Montague said and turned his head slightly while doing so.

"By the way, nice ass."

"Montague!" Angelina tried to get off from his shoulder but Montague held tightly onto her legs and now he was even laughing! Angelina couldn't remember ever having heard him laugh. For a moment she even forgot to struggle. Not that it would make him let her down anyway. No, he carried her until they reached the house again, and even brought the tree into the living room before he let her down again.


	18. Door 18

**Door 18**

"One would think you already bought enough of that stuff!" Montague complained.

"What I bought were decorations for the house. Now we need decorations for the Christmas tree." Angelina replied and entered the first shop.

"Remember: no red!" He called after her while he tried to get into the shop himself, what turned out to be harder than he had thought since they weren't the only ones out to buy the last things for Christmas today.

"Only a madman goes shopping in December." He muttered and tried to find Angelina and the children among all the other people in the shop. He found her – of course she hadn't listened to him – right in front of the red Christmas ornaments.

He made his way to them and glared down at her.

"Were you listening at all?" he asked her but she didn't answer him. Instead she shoved something into his hands.

"Here, hold this." She told him and reached for some red ornaments that looked like bells. Montague looked down at the box in his hands. His eyebrows rose automatically when he saw the content.

"Green balls?" he asked her surprised. Angelina looked at him confused and he held the box in front of her face.

"Do you think I'd want a repetition of our argument about the colours for the decoration? We took green and red for the rest of the house, we can as well use it for the tree." Angelina told him matter-of-factly.

"Tip, star or angel?"

"What?" Montague asked not understanding at all what she wanted now.

"What do you want on the tip of the tree? An ordinary tip, a star or an angel? Or something completely different? And before you even think about it, NO snakes!"

"Why would I care whatever you put on top of the tree?"

"You care about the colour…"

"Because too much of that red makes me sick."

Angelina sighed and threw her hands up in defeat.

"Fine, let's fight again. How could I think that we'd manage to go shopping for once without a fight?" She turned around and took Emily's hands in her own and headed for the door, leaving Montague to pay for all the ornaments and candles she had chosen.

He sighed and went to counter and paid for the decoration.

"I'll help." He looked down to see Samuel next to him, holding his hands out to take one of the bags. Montague gave him the lightest one and was just about to go out after him when a voice stopped him.

"You have a strong son there."

Montague turned around to face a man in his early forties.

"Oh, no, he isn't my son. I… he is an orphan and stays with me until Christmas." He explained and followed Samuel to where Angelina and Emily were waiting outside.


	19. Door 19

**Door 19**

"Do you have a ladder?"

"Why don't you just do it with magic?" Montague asked Angelina.

"Because it's more fun this way." She told him and asked him again for a ladder. Montague called one of his house elves and had a ladder brought to the living room. He then left the room.

Angelina and the children worked together perfectly. Emily and Samuel were decorating the lower branches while Angelina put the ornaments onto the higher branches.

After about an hour the tree was decorated with the candles and ornaments.

"Now it looks like Christmas." Emily said and smiled. Angelina nodded at her then her eyes wandered to the tip of the tree.

"Is there nothing for the tip?" Samuel asked and looked around in the empty boxes.

"No, there isn't…"

"Here." Samuel interrupted Angelina and held a box in front of her that she hadn't noticed before. Inside the box was an angel with a harp in his hands.

Angelina took the angel carefully in her hands and looked at it. A small smile made its way to her face and she shook her head. She stepped onto the small ladder and tried to reach for the tip but it was just out of her reach.

"Didn't I tell you you should do it with magic?"

Angelina almost fell of the ladder when she heard Montague's voice from the door. She turned around to face him once she had again solid ground underneath her feet.

"You also said you didn't care about a tip." Angelina reminded him and held the angel up. Montague just shrugged and came into the room.

He lifted Emily in his arms and held her up so she could reach the tip of the tree. Angelina handed the angel to Emily and the girl put the angel on the tree.

* * *

"Do you think they will like this?" Emily asked Samuel and held the piece of paper up for him to see. Samuel nodded and smiled at his younger sister.

"Of course they will."

The two siblings had been staying alone in their room after dinner. They had decided to make presents for Angelina and Montague and of course they didn't want them to see the presents before Christmas.

Suddenly Emily looked out of the window and her smile disappeared.

"We won't be here when they open our presents." She whispered. Samuel stopped what he was doing and looked at his sister.

"Emmy…"

"I wish we could stay here Sam. I like them. Angelina reminds me of how Mum was and although dad wasn't like him, I like Montague."

Samuel sighed. He knew how Emily felt. He knew because he felt exactly the same way. Even the kiss between them hadn't been _that_ disgusting. He wished Father Christmas would make his wish come true.


	20. Door 20

**Door 20**

The next morning was spent very silently in the house. It was the 23rd December and everyone knew that this meant that this was their last day spent together. Tomorrow morning the children would have to leave and be brought back to the orphanage.

Now, at the afternoon, while Emily and Samuel were again spending an hour alone in their room doing something 'secret', Angelina was sitting in front of the Christmas tree in the living room.

She hated to think that the tree and the rest of the decoration would be gone by the same time the next day. She was sure it would be the first thing Montague would do when he came home: take off everything they had put there. Her heart ached at the thought.

She arose slowly from her seat on the floor and went to the fireplace. There were three fir branches on the fireplace. Each one decorated with red and green Christmas symbols. Stars, angels, bells, a miniature Father Christmas…

She took the three branches in her hands and sighed. At least this way the children would have something to remind them of their time together.

She went out of the living room to go into her room to put the branches away, so she wouldn't forget about them the next morning.

"Are you redecorating?" She jumped slightly when she heard Montague's voice while she made her way through the hall.

"No." she said and turned around to see him descending the stairs.

"I wanted to give Emmy and Sam something to remind them of this… I thought the decoration was too beautiful to just let it be completely destroyed. I figured you wouldn't care whether or not I'd give part of it away, seeing as you'll take it down tomorrow anyway. And since we didn't manage to find a family for them and we don't have a present and they most likely won't get something nice from that head of the orphanage…" She said in one breath like a child that had been caught with the hand in the biscuit box.

Montague raised his eyebrows but didn't comment on her behaviour. He looked at the branches in her hands and frowned.

"Last time I checked there are only two children in the house."

"Well I… I wanted something to remind me of the children, too." Angelina said almost in a whisper.

"Actually…" Montague stopped her as she was about to make her way to her room.

"About the _'no presents'_…" Instead of finishing the sentence he told her to follow him. They went into the library. Angelina looked asking at Montague when he took out two books from the shelves.

"I thought since you like to do everything Christmas-related without magic so much, you'd like to wrap them up yourself. I don't have any Christmas paper, so you'll probably still have to use magic for that…"

Angelina looked down at the two books in her hands. She knew both of them very well. One of them had been the very first book her mother had used to read to her from. It was also the book she had used to read to Emily: It was _'The magical fairytales'_.

The other book she knew probably even better than the first one. She couldn't remember how often she had held the book in her hands and read it. She looked up at Montague who was watching her reaction closely.

"If that head of the orphanage really thinks to keep telling the boy that Quidditch is nonsense he might one day believe it himself!" he said and pushed his hands in his pockets. Angelina smiled down at the copy of _'Quidditch through the ages'_ in her hands.

"He will love it." She whispered. Montague nodded once and cleared his throat.

"You better bring them in your room before they see it. Would ruin the surprise."

No it was Angelina's turn to nod and she turned around and went into her room, not sure if her heart felt lighter or heavier.


	21. Door 21

**Door 21**

The books were wrapped in Christmas paper, a decorated fire branch on top of each one; they were lying on the table in Angelina's room, waiting to be given to Samuel and Emily.

Those two were right now sitting at the dining table together with Angelina and Montague and ate their dinner. For the first time Angelina didn't speak at all and the siblings had never eaten less than they did today.

"We have something for you. Presents." Samuel said when they had finished dinner. He arose from his seat and went around it to hand a package to Angelina, the other one to Montague.

"But you can't open them before Christmas morning!" Emily reminded them and smiled weakly. She was about to rise from her chair when Angelina held her back.

"Wait a moment. We have something for you, too." She left the dining room and headed for her room to get the two presents for Samuel and Emily.

"Don't open before Christmas." She said when she came back into the dining room and handed the presents to the children.

They sat silently at the table for some moments before Angelina decided it was time for the siblings to go to bed. They said good night to Montague and left with Angelina.

* * *

Angelina closed the door to her room behind her and sighed heavily. She hadn't thought it would be so hard to bring them to bed the last time. She had read them a last story, this time Samuel didn't want to read himself and had instead listened to her as well as Emily was doing.

Emily had asked for the longest story Angelina could find in the books they had been reading so far and so Angelina had sat for thirty minutes at the edge of the bed and had read to them before she had turned off the light and wished them a good night.

Now, in her own room she let herself fall back on the bed. Tomorrow everything would change.

"Or rather everything will go back to _normal_ tomorrow." She said into the darkness.

"Sam and Emmy will be in the orphanage again, I will go back to my parents and Montague… he will be the same self-absorbed, arrogant, bad-tempered Slytherin-bastard again. No more Christmas shopping trips, baking biscuits, buying angels for the tree," a sad smile covered her face.

"No more mistletoe…" she whispered and turned her head to the window. The moon lightened the snow outside and Angelina remembered the day they had searched for the Christmas tree.

'_I better start packing my belongings.'_ She thought and swallowed the lump in her throat. She arose from the bed and opened the wardrobe, started to put her clothes back into the bag it had been in when she had moved it from her home.

* * *

Upstairs in his bedroom Montague was standing in front of the window, looking out into the night. Tomorrow he would have his house back to himself – until his parents would return in January. He should be happy about this.

Why then wasn't he happy? Why couldn't he help but think of a young, dark skinned woman with dark brown eyes and lips that tasted like chocolate biscuits.

This night before Christmas Eve Alexander Tybalt Montague didn't close his eyes at all. For the first time in years he didn't want to be alone the next night. But he was used to this by now.

His parents had spent most of the Christmases away from home already when he had been a child and then Father Christmas, whom he had believed in, had also disappointed him. He had years of unfulfilled wishes and he was used to it. He never got what he wanted.

So why should it be different this year?


	22. Door 22

**Door 22**

Emily held on tightly on Angelina's hand as they neared the orphanage. It was as though they were prisoners who were sentenced to death and were now on their way to the executioner.

Unconsciously their steps became slower as though they were trying to avoid the inevitable. Everywhere around them were people rushing about. Doing some very last shopping for presents or just heading home to their loved ones to celebrate the holidays together.

When they walked into the orphanage Angelina couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Something that was worse than just leaving the children here alone.

They headed to the office of Miss Robert and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Miss Robert called. Montague opened the door and the four stepped inside the room. Once they were inside Angelina frowned at what she saw.

There on one of the chairs in front of Miss Robert's desk was the woman sitting that Angelina had met in Diagon Alley. The woman who had asked about Emily. Next to her sat who Angelina supposed to be her husband. And there was another couple on the other two chairs.

"Ah, I was already waiting for you." Miss Robert greeted them and now Samuel squeezed Angelina's hand just as hard as Emily was.

"I want you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Summer and Mr. and Mrs. Hart. They are here to adopt Emily and Samuel."

"Do you see Stan, I told you the girl is the cutest one you've ever seen!" Mrs. Summer told her husband and smiled at Emily.

"But… you want to separate them?" Angelina asked horrified.

"Well, yes, why not. We have already talked about everything."

"Don't worry Miss, we know how to treat the children. Miss Robert has already explained their special… well she has told us about them." Mr. Hart said.

"What shall this mean?" Angelina asked and felt herself grip the hands of the children more tightly.

"We've been told that the boy tends to dream a lot. He needs a strong hand to keep him focused on the important things in life."

Mrs. Summer kneeled down next to Emily.

"I've bought a beautiful pink dress that will look lovely on you."

"Well, then we now can…"

"No!"

Miss Robert turned to look at Angelina and raised her eyebrows.

"Excuse me?"

"There's no way I'm letting this happen!"

Miss Robert gave a dry laugh and looked at Angelina as though she was crazy.

"And you think you have anything to say in this!"

"You can't separate them! And neither of them deserves Sam and Emmy!" She pulled Emily away from Mrs. Summer.

"Emily is not a doll you can dress up and have her sitting somewhere to look cute! She needs someone who is talking to her and listening to her and not someone who wants to put her on a display!" Mrs. Summer arose and took a step back looking shocked at Angelina.

"And Sam," Angelina turned to face Mr. Hart, "does certainly not dream too much! And the very last thing he needs is a _strong hand_! He is perfectly fine the way he is. He shall have his dreams and I'm glad he is not some heartless bully."

"Well, unless you plan to adopt them there is absolutely nothing you can do about this…"

"Then I'll adopt them!" Angelina interrupted Miss Robert. She kneeled down between the children and looked at the siblings.

"That is, if you want to stay with me."

Emily and Samuel didn't even have to think about it. They threw their arms around Angelina's neck and said loud enough for everyone to hear that they wanted to stay with Angelina.


	23. Door 23

**Door 23**

"You are going to adopt them?" Miss Robert asked Angelina and looked more than surprised. Not that she cared. As long as they were adopted she didn't care by whom. And since this woman was so keen on the siblings maybe she could make the other couples adopt one of the other children…

"I'm taking Sam and Emmy home with me today." Angelina told Miss Robert and walked out of the room. She let herself be lead upstairs and helped Emily pack her belongings while Samuel packed his own things.

The children were didn't stop smiling and chatting excitedly about the future. Most importantly right now: about leaving the orphanage for good!

"You know, I've been thinking about what you've said downstairs." Montague told Angelina while she was packing Emily's clothes.

"I mean, I don't have to tell you that you were right about the children. You already know that. But seeing as finding parents for them was just as much your order as it was mine I thought it would only be fair of me to take just as much responsibility as you do and so I think we should marry and give them a real family."

Angelina walked past him as though he hadn't said a word. She went to the neighbouring room and looked for Samuel. When both children were done packing they left the orphanage.

"Hey, didn't you hear me?" Montague asked her as soon as they were outside. Angelina sighed and turned around to face him.

"I did hear you. But I'm not marrying you."

"Why not?"

"Because it would be to big a sacrifice to ask of you." She was about to turn around and leave again.

"I want you and the children to spend Christmas with me." Montague said before he even realised it. Slowly Angelina turned back towards him.

"Why?" she asked him silently. Montague swallowed but didn't find the words to answer her. Angelina looked down at the ground and turned back around again.

"Because I love you." Montague whispered when she walked away.

Angelina had already taken some steps when she felt his hand on her shoulder. Tiredly she turned once more to face him.

His hands reached for her cheeks and he took a step closer to her. His eyes looked down into hers when he bowed his head.

"Montague?" Angelina asked him confused.

"Alexander." He replied just before his lips touched hers. Angelina's eyelids fluttered close and she felt herself leaning into the kiss. She let go of Emily's and Samuel's hands and reached for Montague's waist to steady herself.

When he pulled away from her Angelina heard herself moan in protest. She opened her eyes slowly and looked up perplexed at him. Montague leaned his forehead against hers and looked deep into her eyes.

"I love you Angelina." He whispered and pulled her close to him once more.


	24. Door 24

**Door 24**

Father Christmas looked down at the two sleeping children on the couch.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked when Samuel's eyes opened slowly. Samuel sat up immediately and stared at him.

"Are you the real one?"

Father Christmas laughed and ran his hand through his beard.

"I should hope so." He replied, his eyes twinkling.

"So, why aren't you in bed Samuel?"

"I wanted to thank you!" Samuel said and beamed up at Father Christmas. The old man nodded slowly.

"So you like your present?"

"Oh yes! I couldn't have wished for better parents!"

Father Christmas laughed good-heartily and nodded again.

"Now go back to sleep."

Samuel nodded and laid his head back onto the armrest of the couch. As soon as his head touched it he was fast asleep again.

Father Christmas watched the siblings a bit longer before he turned to face the door to the living room. He walked to Angelina and Montague who were standing there together.

"I have something for you." Father Christmas said and reached into his bag.

"It took quite some time to find it!" he said while he looked at Montague. Montague looked confused until Father Christmas pulled an old-looking broom out of his bag.

"This is the fastest broom _ever_ made. It has been made in 1146 and it's a single copy. So take good care of it, you won't get another one."

Montague stared down at the broom in his hands, then he looked back at Father Christmas.

"I… Thank you." He finally said. Father Christmas smiled at him and pulled the letter Montague had written him as a child out of his pocket. The letter turned into some glittery powder in Father Christmas' hand. Then he pulled out another envelope and looked at Angelina.

"I understand." She smiled at him. She knew the letter in his hand very well. She had written it herself when she was eleven. Just in the year before she had come to Hogwarts. She had thought that the wish had just been an impossible one and thus the perfect one to do as a last Christmas wish as a child.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to see my name written all over it although you brought it to me only months after that Christmas."

Father Christmas laughed again.

"Are you really sure you want to keep this one? Because now is the last chance to get a replacement."

Angelina shook her head and snuggled closer to Montague.

"I'll keep that one. Thank you very much."

Father Christmas nodded at her and winked before the envelope in his hand turned into the glittery powder as well.

"Good night then. And Merry Christmas!" And with that he walked to the fireplace and disappeared through it.

"What did you wish for?" Montague asked her.

Angelina bit her lip and smiled as she turned to look into his eyes.

"I wished for the perfect man." She whispered. Montague grinned broadly when he put his arms around her waist.

"I could have told you that I'm perfect. It really took you a long time to figure _that_ out!"

Angelina rolled her eyes at him and shook her head.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you're not _perfect_. And I didn't ask for any perfect man. I asked for the perfect man for me!"

He smiled tenderly at her and ran his thumb over her cheek.

"Merry Christmas" Angelina whispered and brought her arms around his neck, pulling his head closer to her.

"Merry Christmas Angel." He murmured against her lips before they sank into a kiss that told them just how perfect everything was going to be from now on.

_

* * *

_So, and here ends our story. And I see, it is also time for you to go, for you surely want to be home in time for the festivities. Come, I'll bring you to the door. Oh, it is snowing again. So we really have a white Christmas, that's good. 

Yes, well, there's not much left for me to do. Actually, there's only one thing left for me to do and that is to wish you all Merry Christmas. And so I'll do just that:

Merry Christmas

Joyeux Noël

Frohe Weihnachten

Feliz Navidad

Gledileg Jol

Hyvaa Joulua

Linksmu Kaledu

Mele Kalikimaka

God Jul


End file.
